Life Happened
by Pelleas
Summary: End!Verse Fluff. Cas' words of encouragement usually fall upon deaf ears. for a few months now, ever since Dean became 'fearless' leader, he stopped having a heart. Cas wanted to make sure it was still there, even if it broke him. And it did.


Dean, after hesitating just for a second, raised his hand and rapped on the thin wooden door with the backs of his knuckles. There was no lock on the door—there was never a need for one in the camp—but he had learned long ago the unwelcome consequences of entering Castiel's hut uninvited. Maybe he was with a woman. Maybe two, maybe five. Maybe he was with a man. Dean had stopped caring who the ex-angel slept with a long time ago, and so, apparently, had Cas himself. "Hey, Cas," Dean called, a few seconds after his knock went unanswered. "Ya in there?"

There was a ruffling from the other side of door, with a muffled "Just a second!"

Dean rolled his eyes and waited patiently.

But after about two minutes, his patience left him.

"Cas?" Dean pressed a cautious ear to the door and listened. He could hear nothing. "Cas, tell your lady friend to come back later. I gotta talk to you, man."

There was silence from the other side. The door suddenly opens wide, as Cas says, "There's no one else in here. I was just.. sleeping."

Dean raises an eyebrow. "That's new. Didn't think you did that anymore." The words come out sounding meaner than they are meant, and Dean winces. But he doesn't apologize. It's not his style anymore, now that he's the fearless leader.

Cas gives a short laugh that doesn't sound friendly at all, unfazed by Dean. He doesn't remember the last time Dean said anything remotely caring to him.

"Anyway," Dean says, after a slightly pregnant pause. "Can I come in?" He hopes Cas doesn't get any innuendo from that, though he wouldn't put it past him at this point.

He's quiet for a few moments, contemplating this. It's not often Dean asks. He usually barges in, throws a shotgun at him and tells him to get ready. But Cas looks up at Dean's eyes, and says, "Sure. Anything for you, Dean."

And that damn near breaks Dean's heart, but it's not like he can show it. "Thanks." He pushes past Cas and collapses into a rickety chair by the table, running a hand through his short hair and letting out a sigh.

Cas walks over to stand behind Dean, hands moving to give him a back massage. He misses quiet moments like these. "What is that you wanted to tell me, Dean ?"

"I..." Dean relaxes back against Cas's hands. "There- there might be news of Sammy." He swallows and closes his eyes, tired, too tired, even though the day has just barely begun.

Cas, no longer Castiel because that name is too holy for himself nowadays, doesn't falter. He slides his hands up to Dean's hair. "Are you sure it's him? Didn't we hear he died?"

"Course it's not him, Cas," Dean says softly, something almost like a smile hovering over his lips. "Just Lucifer now. But still. News is news, and this might be our chance to find out where that sick son of a bitch is once and for all."

"Well, alright, Dean. You know what we're doing." He says, with a sad smile Dean can't see.

"I never know what I'm doing," Dean says gruffly and pulls his head away from Cas's soothing hands, burying it in his arms, crossed on the table.

Cas walks around, until he's in front of Dean. He sits cross-legged on the ground. "I wouldn't have followed you this far if I wasn't sure that was a lie." Cas' words of encouragement usually fall upon deaf ears. for a few months now, ever since Dean became 'fearless' leader, he stopped having a heart. Cas wanted to make sure it was still there, even if it broke him. and it did.

With a sound almost like a choked sob- but it's not, it can't be, Dean Winchester doesn't _cry_- Dean lifts his head to meet Cas' eyes. "You're ridiculous, Cas." The words should sound mean- and they would, if he was talking to anyone else- but he makes them fond. Just for Cas.

Cas smiles softly, placing his hand over Dean's. "Maybe you're right."

Dean smiles back, and it almost, _almost_ reaches his eyes.

As they stare into each other's eyes, Cas wonders if maybe, _maybe _the old Dean he likes is still in there. The one who gave a shit, the one- the one who had time for him.

After a second, Dean looks away, glancing down at Cas' slim fingers wrapped around his own. But doesn't move away. That's new. "So, uh, news of Sam," he begins again.

"we'll check tomorrow, if you'd like. We'll check together."

"Yeah." Dean smiles, and this time- this time, it reaches his eyes.

Cas' own eyes widen. _This is it_, he thinks. _This is the Dean I remember_.

And- just like the Dean of old, like the Cas of old- Dean keeps eye contact, too stubborn to look away. Just like he used to.

Cas suddenly feels self-aware. Like he's watching a couple share something special he wasn't intended to see. He leans forward just a little bit.

"Fuck everything. I'm going for it," Dean breathes, almost to himself, and reaches down, fisting a hand in Cas's raggedy shirt-front and pulling him in, bringing their mouths together harshly.

Cas is a little surprised, but can't bring himself anywhere near stopping it. This is what he's been waiting for. This is what he's always wanted since before Sam died.

Dean slides off the chair onto the floor, bringing himself down so he's on level with Cas, twining a hand in Cas' hair, pulling him closer still.

Cas climbs onto Dean's lap, a leg on either side of him, never disconnecting from Dean.

Dean makes a small sound and wraps an arm around Cas's back, other hand still in his hair, opening his mouth into the kiss.

As much as Cas loves the feeling, and no matter how much he wanted it, and _God_, did he want it, He didn't want to continue lying to himself. When Dean pulls back for air, Cas stops. He stares into Dean's eyes, gathering the courage to confess his truest feelings for him.

Dean smiles, a stupid, dopey smile, and leans his head forward so his forehead is resting against Cas's. He just breathes, not trusting himself to say anything, and waits for his pulse to steady. A warm silence.

Cas knew he had feelings, but the happy way Dean is smiling at him just intensifies them. He loves so much it hurts. And he would break into a million _smaller_ pieces if Dean rejected him. "Dean..?" He starts, insanely self-aware.

"Yeah, Cas?" Dean swallows, maybe anticipating what Cas might have to say, and not willing to stop it. He's ready. He's always been ready and has probably always been looking forward to this moment. This moment, feeling the print of Cas's lips still on his own, Cas warm against him, Cas everywhere. He's ready to hear this.

Cas steadies his breathing and tightens his arms around Dean more. "I.. am in love with you, Dean Winchester." His own eyes turn glossy, the fact that he's _finally telling him _being a little overwhelming.

Dean can't decide if he wants to laugh or cry or kiss Cas until he can't breathe or die or run away or hold on and never let Cas go. Instead, he half-smiles and whispers, "Why?"

Cas smiles, not exactly expecting a question. "You were there for me when no one else was. You believed in me when no one else did. I started to enjoy it when you smiled, or when you laughed. I started to like the way you said what was exactly on your mind. I started to love being in your presence." He says, eyes glittering with memories." "And, You taught me freedom. And with it, I chose you. Above everyone else."

"You're going to make me cry, goddammit," Dean growls, lifting his head and kissing Cas again fiercely. He pulls away after a second and grins. "You're still ridiculous, y'know. I'm not all that special. _You've _always been the special one, Cas."

Cas gives a small laugh. "Why is that, Dean?"

Dean presses a kiss to the tip of Cas's nose. "You rebelled against Heaven for me. Just plain old me, who quoted bad '80s movies and slept with trashy women and cussed too much. I'm still like that and you l-love me anyway. Which is ridiculous and I don't deserve it and I don't deserve you and just-" Dean can't finish. There's a lump in his throat filled with words dying to be free- _IloveyouIloveyouIloveyou_- but he just can't say them, somehow.

"Dean, _I_ Don't deserve _you_. You are too good to me. You deserve someone better than a rebel. Someone better than an Ex-Angel..." He looks at Dean's green eyes almost sadly, arms sagging slightly, hoping Dean wouldn't realize what he said was true and leave.

"Cas..." Dean breathes. "There is _no one _better." He chokes on the words he still can't say and stops there.

Cas then gives a full, real smile. One that he stopped giving after Dean stopped giving him a reason to. He gives Dean a kiss on the nose. "I'm lucky to have you."

At that, Dean grabs Cas and pulls him close into a hug the likes of which he hasn't given for years. "Fucked if I don't love you, too, you idiot," he mutters finally into Cas's shoulder, half-hoping Cas would hear, half-praying he wouldn't.

Cas held on to Dean tighter. As they sat there, in the middle of Cas' room, where his past orgies have taken place, where he has experimented with countless drugs, he decides he wants to make it a place for _only_ him and Dean.

"And if you dare even try leave me, swear to God," Dean hisses, pulling back and staring into Cas's eyes with teary ones himself, "I will tear your lungs out through your throat, Cas."

Cas' grin only gets wider. "I would never even _dream_ of doing that. I just got you; I'm not _that_ ridiculous."

* * *

Hey, Hey ! Here's something Supernatural, better yet, here's something Destiel.  
I know alot of you followers/watchers are waiting for WWL, but I just spent_ hours_ on this with the amazing cherishiskisa :heart::heart:

She wrote a stanza, I wrote one. She started the first, and I did the next. You could say, she did Dean's actions/lines and I did Castiel's.

She's four years younger than me and SO MUCH MORE TALENTED ITSNOTFAIR. Or at the very least, my equal because _wow we are a team_

If you happened to have read this because I'm on your alert and you liked it then, then she wrote more SPN ! She wrote more dkljflsdkjflsdkfjsdlkfj

Also, damnit, End!Verse needs more fluff. Can't 2014!Dean and 2014!Cas just admit they're in love already; they probably have tho in cannon IMO.


End file.
